Lots more information can be found at their website http://www.iu.edu.sa/, although the English site is still heavily under construction. I’m now working with the university to develop their English site, and we’re hoping for the new website to be launched soon, in shaa Allah.

Assuming that you know a little bit about the university, I’ll restrict this page to the aspects of study that most people ask about.

For non-Arabic speakers, there is a mandatory 2 year Arabic course. The course has the same conditions as entrance to the university, and guarantees acceptance on the degree course, providing that the student passes the exams with a reasonable grade. Even if you decide not to apply, following the course material privately is well worth considering, even if it means that you do it in your own country with a teacher. The course is also available for people who work in Madinah, as an evening course, subject to getting permission from their employer. When done with a proper teacher, and in a good environment, the course can have you on your way to fluency in just two years full time study. The entire syllabus is available here, as well as on the university website (to some extent).

The 2 year Arabic course is split into four terms, with each term representing one level of Arabic. Within each level there are several subjects, all of them are taught with the intention of developing the necessary Arabic skills to be able to study with the Arab students on the degree course.

The entire teaching and administration in the University is done in Arabic from the first day you arrive (including the exams!). This immersion in the language allows you to learn a lot quicker…there’s nothing like going hungry for a day or two to teach you how to ask for food 🙂

Allowances are made in the first two years, and you will find yourself in an environment where most of the students are only learning Arabic. However, once the two year programme is completed, you will be expected to speak, write, and understand Arabic proficiently, and few allowances will be made if you don’t.

It is always a good idea to learn a few lessons from the Arabic course before you apply, and even more so if you get accepted. This eases the transition into a foreign environment.

Upon graduating from the Arabic language course, you will receive a diploma in the Arabic language. In your final term, you will be asked about your choice of degree, and given a short interview to decide which faculty you are going to study in.

There are five faculties in the university. All of the five share common subjects, but there are extra lessons a week in your specialist subject area.

The Faculty of Da’wah & Fundamentals of the Religion – specialises in aqeedah (belief/creed)

The Faculty of Qur’aan – specialises in the sciences of reading the Qur’aan & tafseer

The Faculty of Arabic Language – specialises in the Arabic language (such as poetry, grammar etc)

Notes on the faculties:

To enter the faculty of Qur’aan you must have memorised the entire Qur’aan (or most of it).

The first two faculties are widely accepted to be the most difficult in terms of work load and memorisation.

The faculty of Shari’ah is the largest faculty and probably the most competitive in terms of places.

The degree course is a BA, to be completed in four years. The university has now changed to a modular system, so there are eight terms which contain various modules of different weights, which are then calculated to produce an overall grade. This is similar to the system used in most western universities.

The general week is no more than 25 hours, 5 hours Saturday-Wednesday from 7.30am-12.30am, although afternoon classes until 2pm, and evening classes have also been introduced (however, they are the exception rather than the rule). Thursday & Friday is the weekend in Saudi. At degree level, there are a limited amount of free periods, with most terms being around 22 hours per week.

The term times vary. At the moment, the term starts 10 days after the end of Ramadhaan, and breaks up for Hajj, with first term exams falling a few weeks after Hajj. The exams are followed by a couple of weeks break, and then the new term begins. There is a short break in the middle of the term. The second term exams are held at the beginning of June.

The university provides every student with a free ticket to their home country once a year (normally used in the summer). The student can apply to travel at their own expense in most of the term breaks (eg. Hajj time). However, this is subject to acceptance by a university committee, and may be refused.

The university also provides accommodation for single students (inshaa Allah some photos will be posted here soon), and a monthly stipend of 840 riyals (approx £150, $225), paid throughout the year (even during holidays). This is just about enough for a single student. More information can be found here.

Officially there isn’t a facility for married students in Madinah, although such a facility does exist in other Saudi universities, such as Umm-ul-Quraa in Makkah. Madinah University have been given permission to open a women’s department, which will probably mean the start of official facilities for married students. More about applying and living as a married student in Madinah can be found here.

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187 Comments:

Akh Muhammad May Allahu Taala bless you for your efforts , it was mentioned this year they wil be accepted more students this year.My question is how much more for example from america last year 15 were accepted, so based upon this do you have an ideal how much more?

salam aleykoum I send a folder with Delivery Receipt that 1year and I do not have the accused and another that I should give myself 1 has a brother who put on the spot How do I know if I’m Wait.
I have not graduated I only college graduates
can you learn about me if I’m just waiting or not
I’m from France RAMOUS KARIM

Im planning going to umrah on Ramadan this year 2010 also Im going to apply the Islamic University of Madinah.

my first question is do I need to fill a application right now or when I go to the university they will provide me with application?

and the second one is when I finish my studies in the university and graduate, does the university or the kingdom find me a job as Imam in a masjid or judge in islamic court or even becoming a Daa’e to islam and more other jobs outside the kingdom. Im in the U.S. can they find me job in the U.S.?

and the last one is when I graduate from the university, can I continue or go other islamic universities like the one in Riyadh for more knowledge?

I would advise you to complete an application form from this site, even though they should give you everything when you are there, and the uni will probably be using the electronic system, in shaa Allah, by the time you come. However, it never hurts to have one ready, in case you run out of time, or in case their computers aren’t working or something.

In terms of a job, the university provides no support at all, neither inside or outside of Saudi. In fact, it can be extremely difficult to find a reasonable job based on this degree. It really isn’t a degree that will benefit you in that sense. The only people who regularly get employment from it are those who live in Islamic countries, who are from the indigenous population of that country, and where the country respects the degree. Saudi has a Saudi-national only employment policy, which means that it is rare that they employ a non-Saudi for anything, unless they really have to.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t find a job in the US or elsewhere, but it is the exception rather than the rule. Even those who find jobs from the degree are often poorly paid, such as the imaam of a masjid (I know this is the case in the UK, perhaps it is different elsewhere). The one thing that you might be able to get a good job with is the Arabic, as a translator or something, but you would have to work very hard, since most people’s Arabic really isn’t good enough, since they don’t mix with the Arabic speaking students and they don’t work hard outside of the Arabic Language Institute to reach a really high level of Arabic.

It used to be the case that the university would provide financial support to the best students to be du’aat. However, terrorism, poor standards of achievement, and the increased number of students, have all contributed to the end of this system. I have spoken about this issue at length in some of the comments, and talked about the various jobs that you can get, so take a look through the site, and you should find more information.

In terms of going to another university, you could certainly apply to masters in any Saudi university, providing you get a good grade in your degree (at least a 2:1, probably a first), but it would be quite hard to apply to another university at bachelors level, because they have a limited number of places and prefer students who haven’t already got a degree. However, there are places that you can go and courses that you can attend. Probably one of the best university level courses in Saudi is Dar ul Hadeeth Al-Khayriyyah. I’m seriously thinking of going there after I graduate. Theoretically, it is another degree level course, but in practise it is much harder than the Madinah degree, and much more rewarding, although their degree is not well recognised like Madinah. It is a private institution, and you need to get your own residency permit and permission from your employer in Saudi, as well as needing to be fluent in Arabic, since they have no Arabic language course. There are also private courses and institutions in Riyadh, like intensive one and two year courses. However, these all need you to find a residency permit, which basically means you need to get a job here. This isn’t impossible, but it does require a lot of hard work to search for.

Brother Atharul,if you would like you could apply for the high school in the uni. of madinah which last for 3 years.Then you go the college level.(which is what im doing inshaAllah. Otherwise Yes you would have to wait until you are completely done with Highschool.(i.e. Have your diploma or GED or GCSE Etc.)
hope this Answers your question!

In terms of the High School, there are people who go from the West, but the official position of the university is that it is not allowed for a student to enter High School from most if not all western countries. I spoke to a brother from the UK who went to the High School and he said the only reason he was accepted is because he submitted a vocational qualification and they thought it was a GCSE, then they realised after he had been accepted. Another brother was able to get in through one of the scholars. Otherwise, it is basically unheard of, and in general all applications which do not have GCSE/High School certificates are rejected, unless there is a really important reason to accept them.

If anyone knows of someone from the US, UK, or Canada who applied without GCSEs and without having some kind of special allowance, and was accepted, then went to High School, I would like to know, so that I can chase up the admin staff and find out why.

AsSalamualaikum Warrahmatullahi Wabaraakatuh, I just had one question, for example, say I am in highschool which goes to gr 12, but the problem is that you get your diploma after you finish the year, does that mean you have to apply after your done your highschool, like you cant do it during the school year because you are not done school yet, so you do not have your diploma yet.

You need to be able to submit some kind of document which gives at least your grades. If it is the case that you have all of your grades, but you are just waiting for an official certificate, then you can apply. However, if you don’t have anything at all, which is probably the case for most people, then you have to wait until after you know your grades.

I wanted to find out the names of all the texts used in the 2-year arabic program in Madeenah so that I can study them with a private tutor here in the UK. I know about the famous 3 madeenah books which I’m starting but I don’t know the others and I can’t understand arabic to the level where I can figure out what the books are from the link you gave. Also, could you provide a method of studying them, like which ones I should do at the same time or in what order I should do them in. Jazakallahu khairan akhi.

The only available copy of all of the books is via the link that I posted. The three published Madinah books only represent a tiny bit of the course. I might be able to help you at least understand the subjects, by explaining it step by step, presuming that you can read Arabic, or at least figure out the Arabic letters. I do this with most of my students, and they are normally able to benefit this way, even if they only have very basic Arabic reading skills.

When you download the course via efatwa.com you get a zip file. Unzip the whole contents to a folder. You need to start the file called lughoh.exe. If you are using vista or windows 7, you need to right click and choose “Run as Administrator”.

The first screen you are presented with has “Al-Manaahij Ad-Diraasiyyah” (Syllabus). You need to click “Dukhool” (Enter) which is the only option.

You are then presented with four options, each of which corresponds to one level of the course. At the moment, you should only be concerned with the top right option, “Al-Mustawaa Al-Awwal” (Level One).

You will then see a screen which contains “Al-Mawaad” (Subjects). You should have four options. If you have more than four, then you haven’t chosen the right option on the previous screen, and need to use the “Back” button.

The first three are vital subjects at every level. Without them you can’t be said to have passed the level. I really would like to see the books for all three published, because they are the essence of the course.

There are two ways to study them.

1) A lesson from Arabic Language, followed by Reading, followed by Expression (or Expression then Reading, it doesn’t really matter), optionally followed by Learning to Write – This is what we used to do in Madinah

2) Complete the whole Arabic Language book (Madinah Book 1), followed by the whole Reading book, followed by the whole Expression book, etc. Some of the teachers in Madinah now favour this method, and to be honest, it seems to be the best way for most students in the West, since I find people lose track and can’t focus when you move from book to book, since most people don’t have four hours of lessons every day. However, it depends on the student and the teacher.

Once you click on any subject, you will be presented with a list of “Duroos” (Lessons). Each lesson represents a chapter. In some books, the first link may be the author’s introduction, so you should skip it if it doesn’t start with a proper chapter heading “Ad-Dars Al-Awwal” (Lesson 1). At the end of each lesson, you have two buttons “Ad-Dars At-Taali” (Next Lesson) – to go to the next lesson, and “Rujoo'” (Go Back) – to go back to the list of lessons.

Once you have completed all of the books (learning to write is optional, but probably useful, even for the vocab), then you can move to level two, by which time you should be able to understand the Arabic meaning of the screens which you see.

As salamu alaikum akhh when is the dealine for applications for 2010 students, and another questionn if I hve linkss widd kabirrr Ulama im talking like grand muftii and tht do you thinkk they can gett mee in asapp likee ofclyy this is the grand muftii out here get me akhh. Holla back InshaAllah.

At the moment a university degree doesn’t help you at all, in fact it probably causes more problems, because they only consider your high school grades, and therefore you have only a year or two to apply after your degree, because five years will have passed between high school graduation and your application to Madinah, which is the limit.

Inshaa Allah, it shouldn’t matter if your high school grade is lower than normal, but try to make up for it in other areas, by getting strong references, and by trying to come for an interview. Inshaa Allah, this will help to make up for any issues with your high school grades.

At the moment there isn’t an opportunity for sisters at the university, check out the sisters page on the blog for more information. However, there is an excellent opportunity for sisters to study in Riyadh, and the deadline is approaching.

Have a look through the other comments & posts for a detailed explanation of the way the deadline system works. I’ve answered it several times.

In terms of this year, the university has begun holding committee meetings to decide who gets accepted, so most applications have already been submitted. However, we’re being told that there is a massive increase in the number of places available this year, so it might be worth submitting your application quickly.

Salamualakum warahmatallahi wabarakatu,
I have a few questions about arabic:
1. After the 2 years arabic for foreigners do they teach you more whilst doing your degree like shariah or hadith?
2.How much do they teach you outside of lesson time?
3.Is what they teach you in the beginning enough to cope with learning all your lessons in arabic?

1. Yes, they teach you two basic subjects, Nahw (essentially Arabic grammar) and Sarf (morphology – the study of the structure of words). Nahw is three hours a week for four terms, from the book Sharh Ibn ‘Aqeel, which is an explanation of the detailed work in Arabic grammar, ‘Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik’. I don’t know what the book for Sarf is because I haven’t done it yet. It is only for one term. They used to complete the entire book of Sharh Ibn ‘Aqeel, but now they only complete half of it.

2. Outside of lesson time is entirely up to you. You aren’t required to attend any particular lesson or study circle, and you can pick and choose the times and subjects which suit you. In terms of Arabic language, it isn’t very popular amongst the students, so if you wanted to study it in detail you could probably find a good teacher who would be willing to teach you privately or in a small group, without too much difficulty.

3. Inshaa Allah, it’s more than enough, as long as you actually do the work. In fact, if you work hard, inshaa Allah you’ll find yourself near the top of the class when it comes to Arabic grammar lessons in the degree course, since most Arab students find them hard. The problem with the lessons is not Arabic, but a lack of detailed study in Islamic sciences before taking the degree (kind of like a medical student who has never studied Biology or Chemistry).

Inshallah, allah grant you success in your exams.
I really want to study arabic to a level where I can easily understand quran, hadith and arabic islamic books. Madina seems a very wonderful place to study and there is no stress with costs and travel. However I’ve heard around that the arabic in madina is taught slow, I myself have done madina book 1 and nearly 2 now whilst studying. I think a lot of people say it isn’t very intense as places like Syria etc.

I was considering a degree in arabic to have be strong in it for gaining ilm. As you spend more hours of it in lesson that means you don’t have to study it outside of lesson time when the best ilm comes from the ulema in masjid an nabawi, as I recall you saying, so I get a better balance that way.

However, I want to ask you, how advanced is the arabic in the arabic language degree when intense courses abroad apparently teach advanced arabic in the matter of months?
I don’t want to spend lots of money when I could be learning in madina for virtually nothing but I don’t want to spend years learning if apparently I could learn better and faster.

Having taught Arabic both following the Madinah book and as an intensive course, I can honestly say that if you have the time, the Madinah course is spot on for most people.

The problem with intensive Arabic is that you have to skip out something, normally vocabulary and examples, in order to make it intense. I can summarise the entire four part Madinah course into about 75 pages of intense Arabic, of which you could do one page per day, but with very few examples and limited vocabulary. This can be useful to give someone a jump start in learning the language, but most people find that at the end of the programme they are far from fluent, mostly due to a lack of practice. I think that’s because there is much much more to fluency in a language than grammar rules. A lot of people think that the Madinah course is limited to the three books which are sold in bookstores, when in fact they only represent about 1/6 or less of the course. There are components for reading, writing, expressing yourself verbally and in writing, application of the language in fiqh, hadeeth, and aqeedah, seerah, stories of the Prophets, and a number of other components, which serve to give you a much stronger base in the language.

I’ve seen students who have completed the three Madinah books elsewhere and then been put in level one when they arrive in Madinah, because they just don’t have the depth in the language. That’s not to say that it couldn’t be done quicker. You could probably complete the whole course in a year and half, perhaps even a year if you are gifted in languages. However, bearing in mind the differences between the different students’ abilities, two years is probably about right. Many people are calling for it to be extended to three years to cover a year of reading books to get up to fluency, so the students don’t lose out in the first year in the faculty.

Many ‘advanced’ courses think that when a person has covered all of the grammar rules and can use a dictionary, they know Arabic, which is practically not the case at all. It may be suitable for some students, especially those who study well on their own and have a good memory, and I’m sure all of the courses are beneficial to some extent or another, but I would be very surprised if a student who has done a year in Syria could reach the level of comprehension of a student who has done two in Madinah, unless they are exceptionally gifted.

I think there are certain things about the way the course is designed and taught which give it an impression of being slow, especially since level one doesn’t teach verbs, so you are left waiting until mid-way through level two until you can really start to express yourself. For that reason, I’ve started teaching about a month of intensive Arabic, followed by the whole set of books for level one, then another month of intensive Arabic, followed by the entire set of books for level two, because I feel it gives most students the ability to speak much more quickly. However, this is more a matter of personal preference than anything actually wrong with the courses.

The Arabic language degree is extremely advanced, far in excess of what you would study in any Arab country privately. You’re talking about a complete explanation of Sharh Ibn ‘Aqeel ‘alaa Alfiyyah Ibn Maalik, as well as specialized subjects in poetry and prose, the detailed differences between word meanings, morphology, semantics, linguistical studies of classical Arabic literature, and other specialized subjects. Bear in mind that the degree is aimed at Arab students, so it is considerably more advanced than programmes for non-native speakers.

As salamualaikum akhi, i had one question, say i go to apply, while that time of applying i am suppose to wait one year to see if i made it or not, can i apply for another university, in my city while i am waiting, this question is bugging me because, what if i dont make it to the madina university, then where would i go

Yes you can apply to another university, either inside or outside of Saudi. However, it’s worth noting the times when you have to decide whether to accept the offers or not. For example, Madinah can tell you whether you have been accepted any time from June to September. Some people found a problem last year when their local university made them decide before the list for Madinah came out.

Inshaa Allah, you can give it to me. However, please make sure that it is complete, including all translations. Use the “documents you need to apply” page to make sure that you have everything. If you don’t have something, then email or post a comment first, before you send the documents.

I always find the easiest thing is just to email me a scan of all of the documents, plus either a scanned passport photo or a passport photo from a digital camera, and I will print it on photo paper, inshaa Allah.

brother, can you send me your email so i can send you my documents scanned i want to apply as soon as possible, so i can probably gain time if you just print it and give to them and talk about me to them. I want to take a chance for this year since they are adding places. Barakallah fik wa jazakallah kheir.

salamualaikum, I had two more questions, if i want to come for an interview to get accepted in madina during umrah or hajj, can i do it before oct 23, because that is when my school starts! And you know how all the documents have to be translated, is that in hand written or computer typeds, and do you know any good translating companies around, jazakAllah khair for your time

The way the visas work in Saudi is that ‘Umrah closes at the end of Ramadhaan and opens about two months after Hajj. People start coming for Hajj about 6 weeks before the actual Hajj starts, and can stay for up to 6 weeks after, depending on the package (this is all very approximate, but inshaa Allah, you get the idea). The best (and probably cheapest) time to come for an interview is probably to come in one of the summer ‘umrah trips, as close to Ramadhaan as possible. That should be well before your school starts, inshaa Allah. As I mentioned in one of the posts, I wouldn’t advise anyone to come after the 10th of Ramadhaan, because the university gets very busy and then closes for the last 10 days.

Any kind of translation is acceptable, but you definitely don’t need a translation company. Any brother that can speak Arabic can translate them for you, ask around at your local masjid. Otherwise, I can do them for you, but try to find someone local to you if you can. Theoretically, the university itself has a translation dept. but they always prefer the documents to be already translated, and I wouldn’t advise handing them in without translation.

asalamu alaykum brother
i live in london so how can i apply for the university?
which mosue are they linked to?
how would send the application form and how would i get it?
can you please reply to me in my email
jazakAllahu Khair

I’ll send you a copy of this reply by email, but I’ll also reply to the comment for the benefit of others who may have the same questions.

The university is not linked to a particular mosque. However, there are certain people who have a very high standing in the opinion of the university, for example Suhaib Hasan at Masjid Tawheed in Leyton. I’ve never tried to get a reference from him and he is certainly not the only person, but it is well known that his references are considered very highly in the university. You need at least two references from well known people in order to apply, but that doesn’t guarantee that you will be accepted.

If you read the pages on the site, you will find all of the documents and information that you need to apply. You can download the application form on the application form page. You can apply by post, the address is also on the same page, or you can apply in person, by coming for an interview as part of an ‘Umrah trip.

Since I already explained how to apply in detail over several pages on the site, I’m not going to repeat everything here…just read the pages for more information, inshaa Allah.

Brother, please read the site…that’s why I put the information there. You can look on the page “I want to apply!”, where I said:

“Once you have got all of your documents together, including your references and your completed application form, you need to make a decision about how you are going to submit your documents. As I mentioned here, you have more chance of being accepted if you come for an interview, but you are limited because of the visa opening times. Most embassies will start issuing ‘Umrah visas around February (and will stop in Ramadhaan), which is probably too late to get accepted in the following year (see the new notes on applications being accepted the whole year round), but would give you a better chance of being accepted in the year after that. Of course, those who are able to come for Hajj, would probably have a good chance of getting their application considered inshaa Allah. The next best option is to ask a student to hand in your application for you. It is better if you know a student from your city, but you can post a comment here if you are having difficulty. The final option is to post your documents, as I mentioned on the application form page.”

Salamualaikum Warrahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, Oh Brother in Islam, I have read all the stuff I am needed to do, for the most part I think I can do, but I just needed a bit on answering on my questions and I need a little bit of help with reference or contact, My question is, I know we can give the stuff in a package but I also know that we can go there for an interview. For the interview, is it before getting accepted or after? And my other question is I live in canada, Toronto. And am looking for atleast 2 good reference. If by any chance you know anyone then, can you please help me out, May ALLAH bless you in this Dunya And in the akhira.

Salamu alaykum akhee may Allah bless you I know that the students memorize Quran in the University but what is the actual set up of this class as far as how the teacher teaches? for example are the students just expected to be able to read and memorize like that?

Theoretically, the university requires every student to be able to read the Qur’aan before they come (since this is taught from as young as 4-5 years old in Saudi). Practically, you get help during the two years in the Arabic language course and they make allowances. However, Qur’aan is one of the things that they don’t go into a lot of detail teaching. Although every class is different, in most classes the teacher will ask every student to read something from the mushaf, and to read something from memory. For example, in the Arabic language course (if I remember correctly), you have to memorise from Ash-Sharh to the end of the Qur’aan, during the first term, and to read from Al-‘A’laa to the end of the Qur’aan from the mushaf. The first few lessons will normally just be reading from the mushaf and then the teacher might say: next week I want everyone to memorise the last page of the Qur’aan and read it in class from memory.

The good thing is that you can easily get a Qur’aan teacher outside of the university who can teach at your level, whether you are only just starting to read, or you have memorized the whole Qur’aan.

Some people come to the university and they don’t even know a single letter from the Arabic alphabet and they all do fine in the end, al-hamdulillah. Obviously, someone who isn’t fluent reading the Qur’aan would have to work harder.

As-sallam-alaikum-wa-rahmathullahi-wa-baraqathuhu.
brother i have a question, right now I’m in Canada currently in Grade 11, and i want to become a religious scholar can you please tell me what to do after i finish highschool which would be in 2 years, i also want to apply to this University Inshallah. Plus I’ am not fluent in Arabic. So can you please reply to this message ASAP. Jazakallah Khair.

Imaam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: about the intention for seeking knowledge, he replied: “to remove ignorance from yourself and others.” Inshaa Allah, this is the best form of intention, based on the hadeeth of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays.

I think it’s great that you are planning to seek knowledge now, because it gives you a lot of opportunity, inshaa Allah. I think my first piece of advice would be to read through the site in general, to make sure that you have an idea of what you need to do to apply. Secondly, focus on getting the best grade you can in your high school, because it will really help you to apply, inshaa Allah. Thirdly, start attending Islamic classes if you haven’t already. Try to focus on setting yourself some books to read and tapes/mp3s to listen to. I wouldn’t worry about references until you are in your last year. When you attend a class and you have been attending for a while, try to get a reference or a document to say that you have attended the class and completed it.

I don’t know where exactly you are in Canada, but I was asked about references in Toronto, and I gave the following answer:

***

Regarding your question about references, I spoke to brother Navaid Aziz, who graduated from Masters here in Madinah, and is from Canada.

He replied with the following:

I would recommend that the brother gets letters of recommendation from:

Maybe when you get into your last year, you can pay them a visit. Finally, try to come for ‘Umrah when you are in your last year of High School, so that you can apply in person, because this gives you much more chance of being accepted.

I’ve read in other wesites that they don take people who are above 23 years.. is this true? i’m nearin 24 and also is january a good time to apply and go for the interview? and also brother since i don’t know how to read arabic so obviously i haven’t read the ‘Quran’.. but day by day i see my interest becomin heavier in thurst of knowlede on islam.. so inshallah i was thinkin off joinin classes on readin quran so i can memorise more surrah’s(which at the moment i just know 3) so my question is.. is it recommended that i learn arabic or wait to learn from the best place if i do get selected(inshallah) i’m from india(bangalore) by the way.. and also brother, could you also tell me where i can go for the 2 references in my area….

I would definitely recommend that you start studying in your own locality. Firstly, this will help the chances of your application being successful. Secondly, it will help you to develop your knowledge, whether you are accepted or not.

You can apply any time during the year, but it is most likely that your application will be considered for 2011.

It will probably take a couple of weeks for me to find someone from your local area who can help with the references.

Salaam Aliakum,
My name is Madina, and I live in VA. Im very excited about Madinah University . My first question is that, are girls allowed to apply? I heard they werent. Secondly, I’ve been looking at how to apply, or perhaps even get an application. Im just a little lost and confused as to where I start. Im a senior this year, and INSHA’ALLAH want to attend as soon as a graduate. Any help would be highly appreciated.
Jazakallah Khair,
Your sister, Madina

At the moment the university doesn’t have a facility for women. They have permission to build one, but at the moment it isn’t clear how long that is going to take. I know that both Makkah university (Umm ul Quraa) and Riyadh university (Imam Ibn Saud) both accept female students from abroad. Unfortunately, I don’t have very good contacts at either university, so my information is a bit sketchy.

I found in the Madinah University official website that there are evening classes conducted for those working in Saudi. From what ever I’ve read so far, I understand that the Faculty of Shari’ah offers evening classes for Bachelors (BA) and all of the Masters (MA) courses are also offered, in the evening, for those wishing to continue their studies.

I am glad to get this site. Insha Allah, I will also apply to the Medina Islamic University. I pray to God to ease my efforts in studying the Islamic sciences directly with the scholars. I live in Indonesia, which claimed to be the country with a Muslim majority population, but most people in our country actually fell in acts incompatible with Islamic Shari’a.

salaam brother how are u ,i am planning on giving my papers and application form to a shekh here in the uk who will send it ,i need to ask u if the acceptance from the government is important and the exceptence from the saudi embassy ,do i have to send it their before i can send it to macca and how many gcses do u need to enter and when is the deadline for the application is it ok if i send it in 3 weeks for oct 2010,i ahve also studied islam here for a few years i have done tajweed fiqh,tafseer will this be an advantage ,last question could i go straight for the degree do i have to study the 2 years arabic

Al hamdulillah, I’m fine. Sorry for the late reply, as you can imagine things are very busy in the last 10 days of Ramadhaan.

For Madinah you don’t need acceptance from the Government until after you are accepted in the university. However, this is needed for Makkah and Riyaadh, as far as I know. Inshaa Allah, if you are applying there, you would be able to tell them that you can send it later.

You need to have ‘GCSEs’, they don’t specify how many or what grades, but at least you should need basic GCSEs, because you are applying to an advanced degree course.

If you send it in three weeks, it should be fine for consideration for the 2010 intake inshaa Allah.

Any additional studies that you have done will definitely be an advantage. Try to get a letter from one of your teachers to say that you have been studying or attending classes. Inshaa Allah this will benefit your application.

You must have very good Arabic to begin your degree, since the entire course is in Arabic, including all exams. If you already speak fluent Arabic and can understand classical Arabic well, then inshaa Allah you could take an exam that would allow you to miss some or all of the 2 years of Arabic (even then it is normal for a person to only miss one year).

I would like to know if it’s possible to give your application during hajj? I’m planning to give all my documents to a well known sheikh and he will perform the hajj and during this period he will give my application inshallha.

Yes you can hand in your application during Hajj, but you need to be aware that the university is closed for about a week to ten days during the actual Hajj itself. However, most people come to Madinah either before or after that.

Salamu alaykum. mashallah may allah reward you for your time which has been spent on this website and may he make your intention firm for his sake….

I wanted to know if there are any students from Iran who are studying or have studied in the university in the past…. i hold a dual nationalty (iranian & British) i used to be shia and come from a shia family. alhamduillah i was shown the path of the people of the Sunnah and really want to learn the correct aqeedah. i dont know which passport to use in my application the Iranian or British….do you have any advice?

July 17, 2009 at 8:41 pm | Reply
Salamu Alaykum Akhee Barakallahu feek Why are there very few Students from the west who dont pursue their masters or even Doctorates; ive notice 98% of the duaat are brothers who went a few years and didn’t finish or they finished with a bachelores but stoped after that?

Sorry – I think I missed answering your post. The site has been really busy over the last month because of people who are waiting for the list of accepted students to come out.

I think there are two distinct issues. 1. why people quit before finishing their degree 2. why people don’t go on to masters

I’ve probably answered no.1 in a lot of detail on the site, since it was one of the reasons that motivated me to make this blog in the first place.

As for no.2, there are a whole load of reasons. The most common are probably:

(a) Masters is 4 years long and Doctorate is another 4 years, so that’s a lot of commitment. Bear in mind that a lot of people are in their 20s when they apply, so after 6 years, many of them are approaching 30. To give another 8 years on top of the 6 is too much to ask for a lot of people, especially since they can’t get a job, and most haven’t even got married.
(b) Masters is VERY hard to get into. As far as I know, they accept about 10 students every year per course. There are roughly 2 courses in every faculty, so out of the entire group of eligible people (I’d guess around about 1000 students), there are less than 100 places. Now add to that the fact that they accept applications from other Saudi universities. Also bear in mind that there are two or three courses that are extremely competitive, like Aqeedah & Usool-ul-Fiqh. Most students don’t even bother applying unless they have a 90%+ grade in their degree, and many who apply are 95%+ students, of whom many get rejected.
(c) It’s not only about grades, there is a gruelling exam to enter into masters, which I have seen very talented students fail, as well as an interview, and further references are required. The exam is more or less on everything that the students who specialise in the subject have studied in four years, so if you didn’t specialise in aqeedah but you want to do it for masters, you have a LOT of reading to do.
(d) The university now has a paid masters degree, run on an evening. This is open to anyone with a degree in a relevant subject – even if they come from outside of Saudi. However, it is very rare to see a non-Saudi on this course, because it is a. expensive for most people and b. they don’t give you a visa.
(e) There are two other aspects which a lot of western students trip up on. Firstly, they require an even higher standard of Arabic than in the degree, and a lot of students just don’t have good enough language skills. Secondly, they require a good standard of Qur’aan recitation, which could be another problem.
(f) The masters is split into two: 1 year of learning, 3 years of research, culminating in a masters thesis. Some people feel that the 3 years can be a waste of time, especially since you have to pick a subject that nobody has done before, and a lot of people end up doing commentary on a book. I’m not saying that it isn’t beneficial, but a lot of people feel that way.
(g) A lot of people get sick of the problems that they face. Especially if they are facing financial problems, or family problems, so when you ask them about masters, they feel that they have basically had enough.
(h) A lot of people say that they would love to do masters, but they feel that their responsibility is torn between going back and giving da’wah, or staying to do masters and doctorate.
(i) Some people want to do masters in another country, like Malaysia, or even in a western university.

However, I think one of the MAJOR reasons can be summarised by what one of the senior people responsible for acceptance for masters and doctorate said to me:

“We have students from foreign countries who we really want to accept…we would go to great lengths to help them get in…but at the end of the day, they are just not at a high enough standard.”

I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I know if I don’t start revising very hard, my mind might end up being made for me .

assalam alaikum i wanted to ask a few questions:
1.the two year arabic course after being graded which level you will join does it mean that after finishing for example level 3 and 4 you will proceed to degree straight or you will wait for the next year to start with the new lot.
2.how long does masters and P.hd take.

Just to answer your question about the Arabic course, you proceed straight to the degree, even if you finish half way through the year (February). If you finish at the end of the year (June), everyone goes home for the summer and you start again in October,

Akh RACHID masha Allah …from what i understood is you and some other brothers arent happy you got accepted, My brother when things like this happen all one can say is Qadarullahu wa ma sha fal Allah knows best your situation and this is one of the reasons before we embark upon an affair we make salatul istikhara for guidance from our Lord. I personnaly know a friend of mind who applied 3 times and Alhamdullah got accepted this year so we know the Tawfeeq is from Allah, and He gives to whom He pleases.

May Allah give us an understanding of our Religion with action upon that

someone can give me to adress of the king abdullah of saudi arabie* I and two other friends do not stand in the list at the Netherlands.
we have there much effort for done and none of our are accepted there. I want will write a letter to king abdullah I have a year stand wait for this list. I wants very gladly will study.

it me has done much pain that our names do not sit there. I want make an objection against the university of madina.

Salamun alaykum wa rahamatullahi wa barakatu.
Brother, thank u for ur very generous help so far, may Allah reward u abundantly.
Regarding the question by br. AbuMuhammed, beautiful question which i would love to know the answer to as well. Also, if once again find out if the list came out yet?
Jazakallahu Khairun.

My Allah increase your in reward dare brother A/Rahman. By Reading how you respond many quation in short time, I believe that you are more than just patiant and hard working person. Brother I am not here to cause fitnah. I have another quation based on the previous one.

I live in UK, have scandenavian passport and my background is not european. Is such a person more favourable.
Thank you for your time.
Jazakallah khayr.

I don’t know that it is any more or less favourable than anyone else. There are a lot of other things which are taken into account. However, living in a country which is different from the passport which you hold is sometimes a little bit more difficult. I know a couple of brothers who are studying who are in the same situation, so I don’t think it’s too much of a problem.

Wa iyyaak. There are lots of people in the masjid an-nabawi who are very strong in recitation. I know about the Afghani shaykh, he’s one of the more famous of the teachers. For some reason, his full name has gone out of my head…I know it’s Al-Afghani but his first name has completely gone out of my head.

However, it’s extremely difficult to get a lesson with someone like that. Either way, there are plenty of excellent quality teachers to choose from.

Wa iyyaak. I’m not sure that I’m all that patient but we have to try 🙂

I think you’re the first one to ask that question, but either way you wouldn’t annoy me bro!

To be honest I don’t have any exact figures, but to give you a rough idea, last year 10 people were accepted from the UK. I would imagine somewhere in the region of 50-100 apply every year from the UK, based on some of the papers I’ve seen in the admissions dept…so a wild guess would be somewhere around 15% acceptance rate. However, there is a big difference from country to country, depending on how popular the university is there and how many people they accept from that country in the first place.

In the faculty you are required to memorise 2.5 juz’ every year, which completes 10 juz (1/3 of the Qur’aan) by the end of the degree. I personally think this is not enough.

You will get VERY limited tajweed lessons in the university, however you can opt to study tajweed from a professional teacher in the masjid, which is what you need to do if you are serious about learning tajweed. All of the lessons are free, but there is a lot of competition for places and you have to be prepared to come every day, or be struck off the list of students.

The two years is split into four levels. Each level has a number of subjects, some of which you get at every level and some of which are specific to the level which you are currently in.

In every level you must study:

* Qur’aan (1/4 of Juz’ ‘Amma per level)
* Arabic Grammar (the well known ‘Madinah books’ with the 3rd book split between level 3 and 4)
* Expression [Ta’beer] (there are another set of Madinah books for this – you can get an electronic copy from fatwa-online.com)
* Reading (there are another set of Madinah books for this – you can get an electronic copy from fatwa-online.com)

Then there are various other subjects which are found in one or more levels (electronic copies are available from fatwa-online.com): –

ilaika ya
abu muhammad
assalamu alaikum
to contact you through your email adress that is the simple way but your e mail adress is not required in my e mail plz send me yours through this
thank you wassalam

A friend of mine who visited Madinah and went into the dorms described it as being filthy, with mess and huge amounts of dirty every were with dead cats lieing around. I just wanted to ask if this was true or just over the top?

I think it’s definitely over the top. However, it can be a shock to people who were expecting something out of a Dubai travel brochure…

One of the reasons why I set up this site was because people need to be prepared. If you aren’t expecting the Ritz, then you’ll probably find the accommodation modest but comfortable. If someone arrives expecting that it will be an extension of their 5* hotel outside of the Masjid An-Nabawi, then it’s always going to be less than their expectation.

Some students don’t keep their rooms as clean as they should, but the university does provide you with a clean room when you come, so if it ends up looking like a bomb went off, then probably the students are to blame.

In terms of rubbish, they don’t have nice brightly coloured wheely bins, but I’ve never found myself knee deep in it, if you know what I mean.

The cats are a problem (although it must be said, they are fueled by the students who feed them). However, they’re mostly just a minor nuisance, and while they do die in awkward places from time to time, it’s certainly not a daily struggle to walk through the carcasses of dead cats in order to get to the faculty…

In summary, I can understand why someone would say what they did, but it really isn’t a true picture…(plus, they didn’t mention the toilets which are definitely the worst feature of the place :-))

Salaamun alaykum wa rahma.
Brother i wanned to kindly request, if u may be able to send me an email, on mujahid_909@hotmail.com, when the list comes out, because subhannallah the waitin is killing me. Sounds like i do not have the patience required of a muslim, may Allah swt guide me to that.
But if u may be able to i would realllyy appreciate that.
may Allah swt reward u abundantly, inshallah, hope to hear from u.
Jazakallahu Khairun.
Salaamun alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu.

Salamun alaykum wa rahma,
Jazakallah for replying very soon, Alhamdullillah, its ok brother, and by the way i dont know if the list has come out, although i checked all other websites who post the list as well as yours mashallah, and all post it around this time of year.
But still, brother Jazakallah khairun, i can wait alhamdullillah, and may Allah make your stay in Madina a VERY blessed one and beneficial for your Akhirah inshaAllah.
Salamun Alaykum Wa rahama tullahi wa barakatu.

Sallamun Alaykum Wa rahma tullahi Wa barakatu, brother.
I hope this message reaches u in the best of imaan, insha allah ta’alla.
Brother, I am frantically searching where the list for new students for Madina Islamic University, for term, 1430/1431 is. I cannot find it anywhere.
Inshallah im hping my name will be up there as i have been to the interview and done everything needed.
So inshaallah u will be able to help me.
Take Care my brother in Islam,
asalamun Alykum Wa rahmatullahi wa baraktu

May Allah make it easy for you. As far as I am aware (I’m hoping to check up again tomorrow), the list hasn’t come out. Read my answers to the other brothers who’ve asked this question for more information about why.

If you know the list has definitely come out, please let me know, so that I can send someone to the admissions dept. and post it here on the site.

I can’t check every day, so I’m relying on the brothers to let me know as soon as the list comes out, so that I can get a copy of it and get it posted here.

Jazakallahu khajran for helping me to find some contacts here in Holland.

I have two question if you don’t mind. You mentioned in your reply of brother Abu Sulaiman that the university offers 4 years masters (1 year study, 3 years research), as well as a four year doctorate. Does this mean if you want to finish your doctorate, you will need 10 years to finish everything, because first two years are learning Arabic, than 4 years master and again 4 years doctorate. Is this correct? Or the master’s and doctorate are mixed in the 4 years? Please, could you clarify it?

The second question is, you mentioned that “The university also offers a paid masters degree on an evening, with the same teachers and facilities”. Do you perhaps know the cost of the paid masters degree on an evening?

I have a question regarding the courses. Is it possible to complete a PhD in the university or are you just kicked out after the 4 years? Are there any job opportunities in the university, in Madinah or even the country for a graduate?

The university offers a four year masters (1 year study, 3 years research), as well as a four year doctorate. Competition for places is very competitive (depending on the country – actually the UK is a lot less than some countries), and most students should expect to get a first in their degree if they want to be in with a chance. There is a Qur’aan exam as well as an exam in the subject which you are applying for, which is notoriously difficult. Finally, each candidate must pass an interview.

The university also offers a paid masters degree on an evening, with the same teachers and facilities. The same exams and interviews must be passed, however depending on the amount of people who apply, it may be easier to get it. They are certainly a lot more relaxed about the qualifications you have when you apply…since for the morning course you have to have your degree from a Saudi university, however in the evening they have been known to accept people with degrees from other institutions, as long as they can pass the exam (which is no easy task by all accounts).

Some departments are more competitive than others, such as the aqeedah department in the faculty of da’wah.

As for job opportunities, there is virtually nothing in an Islamic field for non-Saudis, except working in one of the da’wah offices, although this is mostly restricted to Urdu/Bengali programmes and there are only a handful of places across the country.

A lot of people end up living there teaching English, which seems to me like a bit of a waste of time, but I guess they would say it is the only way that they can make hijrah. I would strongly encourage all students though to come back to their own country, as long as they are not in fear of their religion, even if only for a few years, so that they can benefit their community and do their bit. If every student stayed in Saudi after studying, the da’wah would suffer as a result.

sorry i dont know how the school taken the studies so have no idea on it i am a prospective student i am just apllying into the university so i dont know wether i will scale or not
becouse i have a financial problem i dint pay for the exam so i have noting to say
thank you brrother
plz reply

I’m Eldin Karisik living in the Netherlands and I am 19 years old. My origin is Bosnian. For two years now I am thinking studying islam abroad, like in madinah or makkah. I have a desire which I can not discribe. 30 june I will receive my diploma. I have also managed to get in contact with some bosnian scholars who studied in the middle east like syria, jordan and yemen. I have also found two ex students who would like to recommand me, but I feel or think it’s not enough. Do you perhaps know some scholars or ex students who can help me to find more recommandation or someone who is well-known person here in holland?

I would like to know one more thing from you. What are your plans after graduating (your plans)?

It sounds like you have done a lot of research and already put in a lot of effort, may Allah reward you for it.

Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anyone in Holland, but I could probably find out for you inshaa Allah. I’ll try to email a couple of brothers and find out who the well known references in the Netherlands usually come from. Bear in mind that your references from ex students would be acceptable, but I always advise brothers to go beyond that and try their best to search for even better references – if you find them that’s great, and if you don’t, there’s nothing to stop you applying with the references that you get from the brothers you know.

Give me a couple of weeks to get in touch with a couple of people and see if I can find out. The only problem is that the university has finished for the summer, so it might be a little difficult to get in touch with people, but I’ll see what I can do inshaa Allah.

As for my plans after graduation, I’m not sure that I have something fixed in my mind. I would really like to pursue an opportunity in higher education, masters and doctorate. I’m already actively involved in the da’wah both locally and occasionally outside of my home city. I would love to find a job in something that allows me to practise what I’ve learned, but I’m not actively learning while hoping to make a living from it. Not only is thinking about making money from knowledge quick to corrupt people (as opposed to accepting an opportunity which comes along without looking for it), but it’s also very impractical in the UK (and probably elsewhere). The only thing that I have fixed in my mind is the advice of Imaam Ahmad when asked about intention: “To correct yourselves and others”. If I can continue to correct myself and begin to have a positive influence on the people around me, both while I am in the university and after I graduate, I think I will have achieved my short term goals.

The best way that I can help you is by advising you to read the website in detail and then see where you need to go from there. If I can be of any further assistance in the mean time, please send me a message via the forum, but please try to be specific about what I can help with.

As-salamualaykum…….i`m student from Malaysia.I`m really interested to continue my education in Diploma of Arabic language.Can you help me in order to be a good student in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies?
May ALLAH The Most Merciful grants you a great reward for your answers.Thank you!

Apologies for the delay in replying for a couple of days – my computer wasn’t working.

I’ll try to reply to everyone in one go.

Br. Abu Sulaiman, Inshaa Allah I can do my best to find out, but in general they don’t give out any information until the official list is produced. This can vary from June until August, normally depending on approval from the government in Riyaadh. At least I can try to find out if they processed it or not. Inshaa Allah I’ll send you an email with my email address – just send me your details and I’ll try to get it done ASAP inshaa Allah.

Br. Aadam, Firstly, I ask Allah to make you strong upon his religion, and to save us all from all kinds of fitan. I completely understand where you are coming from, and I’m not trying to discourage you at all. However, we need to be practical. According to official rules, no British applicant is allowed to enter high school, and everyone who applies to university must have GCSEs. It is possible to break the ‘official rules’ but it requires someone with a lot of clout in the Saudi Government. I also can’t emphasise enough how many students come here, only to leave a week later because it isn’t like the picture postcard. I think an important point is that I would separate between the need to make hijrah and get out of the UK, and travelling abroad to study. Travelling abroad to study requires preparation. The salaf are unanimous in their advising the student to study in his own country first, and they did not accept the one who travelled to seek knowledge without seeking knowledge from his local area first. Of course, in our time things are different, and we can’t apply the same statement completely. However, we can say that it is very important to have the right preparation before coming to study abroad. Firstly, you can’t get admitted into the university without fulfilling certain conditions, which are mentioned on this site. Secondly, even if you knew a government contact who got you in, the chances are that you wouldn’t be prepared in a way that would allow you to benefit, or your benefit would be severely decreased. Tawfeeq is from Allah, and of course I’m generalising here, but for a student to come here and not be able to benefit is a huge waste. What I’m trying to say is that if you prepare as much as you can, and trust upon Allah, there’s no reason why you can’t apply and be accepted, and go on to be really successful with Allah’s permission. You need to prepare yourself in two ways. Firstly, you need to fulfil the requirements of admission. That doesn’t mean that you have to go to a school, for example, if you need GCSEs you can do GCSEs at home and just go for the exams – I did that for my A-levels, and whilst it is hard, it is a lot better for your deen. You also need to prepare yourself in terms of your Islamic knowledge. Try to attend some classes. I would be very surprised if there wasn’t a qualified Qur’aan teacher that you could find in your local area. If you’re having trouble I might even by able to find one for you. I know it isn’t as good as Saudi, but it’s a start – and like I said on the site, if you can’t study in the comfort of your own country, it is unlikely that you would be able to study abroad, except whom Allah wills. Also, remember that memorizing the Qur’aan is not about how many aayaat you can read without looking at the mushaf, but memorizing the Qur’aan is acting upon it.

If you wanted to come to Saudi to experience what it is like, you could come on a 1 month ‘umrah visa, and stay in the masjid, attend lessons and benefit. However, it is very difficult to stay in Saudi more than a month unless you are accepted at one of the universities. There are other countries that you could look in to as well.

Allah has given you a great blessing that you are still only 16. Most of the brothers here, including myself, started practising a lot later than that. If you plan things right and have a little patience, as well as trusting upon Allah, and making du’aa, you’ve got a great opportunity ahead of you. A little bit of patience now is better than missing out on the opportunity completely,

Wa alaykumussalaam br. Aadam. I already replied to your question on another page. Inshaa Allah refer back there. Basically, they don’t allow western students to apply to enter the high school. However, I replied in detail to you on the other page, so check there,

As salamu alaikum akhi abuabdirrahmanhumble basically I’am practising my deen now alhamdulilah and realy want to get out of this country like because of all the sins in uk and haram stuff that is happening all around me Akhii im really commited in finishing the quran and become a hafiz inshallah and i dont want to do it around a haram society if you get what i mean im not really intrested in gcse and just want to hafiz allahs words and ofcially learn the hadiths inshallah and arabic as I’am going saudi arabia in April to perform Umrah Inshallah I will be in makkah for 1 week and madinah for 1 week inshallah so is there like no highschool or something along dem lines that just does quran hadiths and that would like take me straight away or something akiii please find out for me or give me some information I really want to get out of this country and Iam commited in staying in makkah or madinah as long as it takes for me to become hafiz inshallah.

As salamu alaikum ackhi, kaifa haloka. ackhi what part of the uk are you in, I just wanted to say jazakullahu khair for your naseehah and i have more detailed questions, however if you could let me know when you are free to answer them i will post them. I hope to here from you soon inshallah. salam

I MEANT DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR TUTION HOUSING ETC CAUSE 1 OF MY FRIENDS CAUSINS IS STUDYING THE QURAN AND HADITHS THERE AND THEY ALSO PAY FOR HES HOUSING TUTION ETC N THEY GIVE HIM MONTHLY SALARY ASWELL MASHALLAH.

May Allah make it easy for you. I think since you are only 16 isn’t there an option for you to finish your GCSEs first, or to resit them if you didn’t do so well? There is a reason why the university requires a minimum of GCSE, since if you were accepted in Madinah you would be doing a degree – which is obviously a lot harder than GCSEs.

I guess that I would say that if you want to learn Qur’aan and some basic Islamic studies, you aren’t limited to Madinah – in fact you will almost certainly be able to do so in your own city. This is really important because so many people leave Madinah because of the difficulties they face, when if they did some hard work in their own country, it would help them be ready to study abroad, inshaa Allah.

Basically my advice would be to work hard in your own city for a year or two, and look at your options regarding GCSE. When you have learned some Qur’aan and Arabic, and maybe some basic Islamic studies then look to apply to Madinah. I sounds hard, but most people who do it that way benefit a lot more.

The accommodation and salary have already been mentioned on the main pages of this site. Please have a read through them properly. Accommodation is free, and you get a salary of around 850 riyals a month (about £160), which is enough for a single student. You also get a free ticket once a year to go back home.

abuabdirrahmanhumble AKHI CAN U GIVE ME ANY ADVICE ON WERE I CAN LEARN THE QURAN IN SAUDI,HAFIZ STUDIES AND HADITHS AND AS IAM ONLY 16 TO I HAVE TO PAY FOR TUTION HOUSING N ETC AND I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE AT MADINA BUT DONT MIND ANYWERE ELSE REALLY WA ALAIKUM SALAM

As salamu alaikum, akhi im from london and very intrested in coming to saudi I’m 16 is that a proplem,the main reason i want to come is to learn the quran from top to bottom inshallah become a hafiz inshallah and learn the tafser and hadith inshallah akhii is there anyother way that I can do this in saudi without applying for the university as i dont met them requirments the university is asking for, wa alaikum salam akhii, can u reply back as soon as possible inshallah

Theoretically, Madinah uni does not accept any student over 25. However, there are two exceptions to the rule. They have a paid masters degree, where you pay approx £2000 per term, however there are two issues to bear in mind with it. Firstly, they require you to sort out your own visa, which is easier said than done, and secondly they will almost certainly require a previous degree in an Islamic subject. The second exception to the rule is that they have been known to accept students over 25 if they have the support of a very well connected Saudi scholar. This is a bit hit and miss, since I know some who were accepted and some who weren’t. In general though, there isn’t much going on here for over 25s. I can’t speak for the other universities in Saudi but as far as I know they have the same conditions.

In summary, it isn’t impossible to get in if you are over 25, but it is extremely difficult and requires excellent contacts. There is a possibility for a masters degree, however they would almost certainly require that your previous bachelors degree is in an Islamic subject, and it isn’t cheap, not to mention the visa problem. The other possibility is to look outside of Saudi, I know a few people who are going to Malaysia to study Islamic finance, for example, but I don’t know how good the university is. There are also excellent opportunities in Pakistan, however the current political climate isn’t the best for going there.

All I can advise you is that you ask around and try to find out the opportunities which are available to you, and make lots of du’aa – Allah makes things easy for whoever He wants.

I did update that part of the site a month or two ago, maybe it still needs revising to make it more easily understood…

Basically there is no cut off point for applications, but once they get to their limit for a certain country, they will consider other applications for the following year. So let’s say that they are going to accept 10 people from the UK. As soon as they find the ten people that they want for 2009, any applications after that will be considered for 2010. They might find the ten people in August, and they might find them in May – it depends on how many people apply and which country you are from. However, for the UK/US etc I would say sometime around the new year, probably no later than February, but that’s only a very rough estimate.

Apologies to br. Shahzeb, I realised that I missed the reference to February on that page…I had changed it on one of the other pages. I have since updated the page to reflect the fact that there isn’t a fixed deadline as such.

Br. Fouzie posted his email here, I removed it because there are a lot of automatic programs that search wordpress and other sites for emails and then spam them. Inshaa Allah I’ll forward the email to Hassan privately if he didn’t already get it.

Sorry for the late reply – it’s exam time here in Madinah. The list should come out sometime between May and August. It can come out very very late for certain countries, depending on security procedures etc.

Everyone is automatically considered for the Arabic course. They will send you for a test of your Arabic skills which will determine your level.

The books in Madinah are the same as always – but bear in mind that the grammar books that are printed in the UK are only about 1/5 of the syllabus. You can find the syllabus via the fatwaa online link on this site.

I wanted to know when someone applies even if their arabic is good level in terms of what you tick on the application meaning they have studied arabic to some extent in terms of grammer are you automatically considered for the 2 year arabic course? How do you know if your being considered for the arabic or the direct degree? and also what book/s are madinah using currently for teaching the 2 year arabic course?

It’s difficult to tell whether they have processed the application or not…I can try to find out for you. I would think that if you sent it in mid December it would be fine for 2009.

Finding out whether you have been accepted or not can be difficult. They are supposed to send you a letter, but I remember a brother who got accepted last year and he didn’t receive any communication from the university at all. Realistically, the best way is to use sites like this one to keep up to date. I will do my best to post the list of accepted names when they come out.

As for the earliest date, I have known them come out in May, but you might have to wait as long as the end of August to find out. Especially since they seem to hold up the process in Riyaadh while they do some security checks at the internal ministry.

salamu alaykom…..brother i wanted to know when the next enrolment period will be. my younger brother is really intrested in the university and he is just 16 years old. would he be able to enroll? i would be greatful if you can get back to me? salam

The enrolment period is all year round. As far as I know (not yet confirmed) we have reached or almost reached the cut off point for this year, meaning that any applications submitted now will be most likely be considered for starting in 2010, not 2009 – but you can still submit applications anyway.
Inshaa Allah there’s no reason why your brother shouldn’t be able to enrol, but you will need to check out the site to make sure that he meets the requirements. Browse through the site, and then post a comment if you have any more questions,

The term ends around the 1st July 2009. The new term starts about a week after Ramadhaan around 1st October, but it is likely that the administration people will be around from about a month before Ramadhaan until the first week in Ramadhaan. This is only an approximation, it’s quite hard to get them to pin down when they’re going to come. The safest time is obviously October – July, and after that probably end of August to beginning of September. I’ll see if I can get any more information inshaa Allah

Sorry for taking a while to reply. You need to meet all of the requirements in order to be eligible for the 2 year Arabic course. The course gives you an automatic entry to the main university, so they have the same conditions. As for contacts in London, do you mean for references or just generally to help you with your application?

Jazak allah for your reply. I wanted to know what date does the university term officialy ends in 2009?
Because I was going to go umrah in the summer but would travel in August and be back at the beginning of September.
When you mean no guaratees do you mean that I wouldn’t be able to hand my application in or do you mean I may not be interviewed? Because I don’t think I would be able to come before August and I want to maximise my chances of getting in by being interviewed. How long does the interview last for?

Salaam bro. Apologies for taking so long to reply to your request. I went there today and they said that they think it is likely that someone would be available but there are no guarantees, and it is better to come in term time.

Honestly, I don’t know about the birth certificate. We can always try to explain. Inshaa Allah I’ll be around or if not I should be able to recommend to you a student who can help. I’ll email you my contact details inshaa Allah. Try to get as much of your paperwork translated as possible, but as I mentioned don’t worry about it being official – anyone who can speak Arabic should be able to do it.

I wanted to know if you would be there for the hajj session, or if you can recommend me to another ex-student or current student that is attending the University. Also, I am from Somalia, and due to the civil war and all the chaos I don’t have a birth certificate, are the administrators at the university aware of that or would it hurt my chances? Also, how important is it to translate all my paper work? thank you very much for all your help bro..may allah reward you for jannah n guide all of us to the right path inshallah

I’m already searching for some contacts in VA for another brother. Check out this site: http://saudiuniversities.wordpress.com/ – but inshaa Allah I’ll call a few brothers and try to find out anyway.

Hajj would be an excellent time to apply, but you need to be aware that the uni is closed for at least a week (6th-13th December) and possibly more, but most people won’t be in Madinah at that time anyway.

There are some reports that applications received after 3rd December will be considered for 2010 not 2009, but so far they aren’t saying so.

The interview is pretty easy and relaxed. It isn’t so much of a test as just a general way to find out more about you. They will ask you to recite some of the Qur’aan from memory, according to how much you know. They will also ask at least one general knowledge question about Islam – I got asked to name the six pillars of imaan – but nothing too difficult inshaa Allah. The only tip I would definately mention is to get a good brother to translate for you – even though some of the interviewers know English.

As for Saudi scholars, most of them won’t write a recommendation without a previous recommendation from someone that they know. For example, the scholar who wrote my recommendation used to visit England every year, and he knew the local imaam, so he based his recommendation on the recommendation of the local imaam. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try anyway. You’re likely to meet several people at Hajj, so make sure that you’re always asking around. If people know that you are trying to apply they will often pass on contacts. If a Saudi scholar visits you to give a talk, make sure you get to the front and ask.

As for the grades, you need to have at least “GCSE or equivalent”. I have no idea what that is in the US, but it is basically the level before high school (in the UK the students are 15-16 years old when they take the exam). The exams that you take before College (at 17-18 years old) are important and they prefer people who have them, and without them you would have to study an additional three years in the university’s high school. That doesn’t mean that you can’t try to apply anyway. Hajj is a once in a lifetime opportunity, including the chance to apply to the university in person, so try and see what happens.

Update: what I said about GCSE was wrong, as I have mentioned on the front page. GCSE is equivalent to High school. This is partly confusing because the Saudi system uses the same name as the British system but follows the American system more closely. The issue is now clarified on the “Official Requirements” page – sorry for the confusion

Asalamualkum, bro I live in VA and I was wondering if you knew any good people that would do recommendations letter for me? and I am planning to come over there this Hajj in couple weeks..would that be the best time to apply? and do you know any good tips when doing the interview? and when i get there how can i find the Saudi scholars that would write a recommendations for me? Also, bro what if you don’t have any High School Transcript or grades..but I have my diploma, would that really hurt my chances?

There is no minimum amount of Qur’aan. People come who only know the last ten surahs. It depends on the person. For example, a convert who has just accepted Islam 2 or 3 years ago would not be expected to know as much as a juz. Even many people who were born Muslim are accepted without knowing much Qur’aan. Then again, the more you know the better.

As for the answer to the dept. question, I mentioned above: “There are five faculties in the university. All of the five share common subjects, but there are extra lessons a week in your specialist subject area.”

So basically, you get ten or so extra periods a week in your specialist subject, otherwise you study basically the same thing. There are also some subjects you cover in one faculty that you don’t cover at all in others. For example, in the faculty of hadith we don’t study judging at all. In the faculty of Shari’ah they don’t study Jarh wa Ta’deel at all. In the faculty of hadith we only study Usool-ul-Fiqh for one term, in Shari’ah they study it for several terms, the opposite is the case for the science of hadith. In general though, at least half of what you study is the same. I hope that kind of explains how it works.

This also shows how important it is to study outside of the university in order to make up what you miss in the faculty. One term of usool-ul-fiqh is almost useless!!

As for the university opening times, I will ask tomorrow or the day after inshaa Allah.

Please continue to ask any questions you have, as I’m hoping to incorporate all of the questions into the main text, in order to improve it.

I wanted to ask what is the minimum amount of quran that one should know i.e at least 1 or 2 juz?

Also when you go into the department i.e doing shariah or hadith what other subjects are covered in the university alongside them? i.e. do you just study hadith in the university if your in the hadith department?

The problem with me answering this is that my answer is always going to be based on my opinion. The university doesn’t provide any firm guidelines as to an acceptance criteria.

Personally, I think that the recommendation letter is important. I wouldn’t worry about knowing big personalities, but it is important that you get the best reference that you can.

Al hamdulillah, I’ve built up some good contacts in this area, and there are some people that you can get a good reference from. Based on what you have told me, I would get a reference from your Qur’aan teacher and if you can get one from someone in the Saudi Assembly that would be good. If you let me know what area you live in, I can pass you contact details for some other people who would be able to give you a reference, then you can look over the references that you have and choose the best of them.

SHUKRAN for your answer bro, may Allah grant u Junnah
one thing is brother, i really don’t know a lot of big Sheiks, Alhamdillah i have completed the quran, and my teacher knows few people in the Saudi Assembly here, but other than him, i don’t think i’ll be able to find a person that they might actually Know, so my question would be is the Recommendation letter something really heavy?

Wa iyyaak. When I had my interview they asked me how much Qur’aan I knew, then they told me to read certain surahs. I would guess that if a person has memorised the Qur’aan they could be tested on any surah. However, I also get the impression that the idea is not for the person to test you in detail. I think they are more interested in the quality of your recitation.

I think the whole process of coming for an interview gives you a better chance, not just because of the Qur’aan, although that definately counts for lot, but also the chance to see the person and get an impression of their ability.

jazakhallah Khair for the Quick reply, may allah give u tawfeeq as well nd increase u in Knowledge,
yes brother i would want to apply for the Sep. 2010, If a person is a Hifiz would he be tested during the interview, nd would dat also give him a better chance of getting in?

The only thing I would like to check is whether they are open at the time you go. I’ll try to check that in the next couple of days inshaa Allah. The only other thing that comes to mind is that you would be applying for September 2010, since you would miss the deadline to be accepted in September 2009 – still that’s not necessarily a bad thing, since your interview would be a strong point in your favour.

Asslameu alaykum brother, Inshallah I’m planning on making Umrah this upcoming summer 2009, would that be a good time to apply for the University, if Not could u please tell when is the best time to apply i Know you have probably mentioned it above
Jazakallah Khair